Born and raised in NYC and been through a lot of snowstorms in the city. I dont like Mamdani, but in his defense, this isnt an illustration of his incompetence. This has nothing to do with him. This is what always happened after a snowstorm.
The city plows the streets, pushing the snow up against the parked cars and garbage cans. Garbage doesnt get picked up because the garbage men cant get to it. Its an impossibility for the city to shovel out each individual parked car, garbage cans, and the sidewalks. So, its the responsibility of every property owner to clear the snow from the sidewalks in front of their properties and dig out their own cars and clear a path to their garbage to make it possible to be collected.
Back in the 90s, I heard (the great) Jay Diamond describing a scene he witnessed from a window in his apartment. Some Department of Sanitation guys were fooling around with a backhoe, while they were supposed to be clearing a parking lot. He was laughing in his delightful, manner, like a teenager, as he described them burying a guy (one of their co-workers) in the snow, and then when he tried to get out, dumping more snow on him. he said they were all laughing, even the guy they were dumping the snow on. Such a classic New York scene. Maybe they all (the sanitation guys) grew up together in Queens.
That’s how it is in Chicago. You shovel your car out from the curb and place some crappy furniture in the space so it’s clear when you get back. Woe be to anyone who tries to take the spot. Surprisingly, it works most of the time.